JOHANNESBURG

South Africa reported 10,853 new cases of infections with coronavirus late Saturday. This is a record single-day surge in the country.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed in a statement that the overall count of confirmed cases climbed to 187,977.

The death toll in the county has reached 3,026 and the total number of recoveries is 91,227, marking a 48.5% recovery rate.

Mkhize said 74 people died in the past 24 hours, thirty of them are from the Eastern Cape province, and 43 from the Western Cape.

South Africa is currently in its winter season and officials expect an increase in infections. They have set up several field hospitals and isolation centers to deal with the anticipated surge.